The Life of a Fox
by Skipper917
Summary: Autumn Fox is a normal high school girl, with a family, friends, you know the usual... at least she was until that night. She was kidnapped, her family killed, and finally experimented on. But Just before she lost all hope of being rescued it happened, she was saved.
1. Chapter 1 Kidnapped

The Life of a Fox

Chapter 1 Kidnapped

On a bright autumn's day in the big city, when red, orange, and yellow leaves could be seen everywhere floating effortlessly down from the trees in preparation for winter there was a small apartment. That apartment was the home of a normal looking girl, this girl was me. I was thin, but not so thin it looked like I had had surgery, I was a healthy muscular thin with a bit of extra fat around my stomach area. I was also tall, at 5'7 and I had an average chest area, not flat but also not huge. I was slightly intimidating to someone who didn't know me especially when I'm angry or upset. I was very guarded about my secrets, and because I can keep my eyes from revealing what I don't want people to know, I am a bit of a mystery to someone who doesn't know me.

I had bright golden blond hair that stops just above my shoulders cut into a slightly messy style. Shorter locks framed my eyes blocking the sight of my left eye every time I moved. My eyes are a deep blue that reminds me of one of my anime characters, Naruto. Though we were not entirely the same I've found that Naruto and I are a lot alike, we both have bright golden blond hair, bright blue eyes, an awesome sensei, and we both are outcasts in school, but unlike him I'm usually calm, quiet and more laid back, I live with my parents, and I have two best friends.

My parents are more like friends to me, the only real differences between them and my best friends are their age, appearance, and the fact that I don't tell my parents all of my secrets. Suddenly I heard a thump making me turn away from the computer in my room where I was typing the next chapter of my fanfic. I had always loved reading and writing, and it came naturally to me. I've read, written, and done so much that not much can really surprise me, but what I saw when I turned did.

Standing a top my door, which was now on the floor, was a man in a strange suit, similar to the ninja my sensei had described. My sensei had also said that those ninja were from Japan, The Foot Ninja. The Ninja in my room even had the signature of the Foot Clan. Though I had had training from a wise old master of the art of Ninjitsu I hadn't expected that ninja would attack an ordinary high school student. Unfortunately my train of thought was incorrect as my room was now filled with men, all of which were dressed in the same suit.

"Come quietly and nobody gets hurt" said the ninja who had entered first. His voice seemed hoarse as if rarely used and was muffled by the black spandex mask on his face. I stiffened with realization, they wanted to kidnap me. I couldn't just go with them, who knows what they'll do to me, but I didn't have my swords with me so I couldn't fight as well as I usually would. My swords, though they are my treasure, needed to be repaired.

In my last spar they took some real damage, having cracks in a sword when you fight like I do could cause the sword to break in the nest spar, so my sensei sent them to his favorite blacksmith, who just happens to live in Japan, for repairs. Even though I'm unarmed I won't go down without a fight. The one who talked took a step towards me and I attacked, punching him in the face with all my strength and he fell to the ground unconscious. I looked to the other ninja, sapphire eyes narrowed and daring them to attack, and then as if on cue they all attacked at once. I fought with all my might kicking, punching, and dodging attacks of all kinds, be they with weapons or without not caring how injured I became, my freedom was my top priority at the moment, but soon enough the battle turned and the foot began to win.

The fight had become a matter of strength and I wasn't strong enough. In a matter of minutes I was overpowered and restrained. Before I fell unconscious I saw the bodies of my parents on the floor blood spilling from the cuts in their necks and staining the light green carpet floor underneath them… They were dead. They had been killed by the Foot.

Anger filled me to the brim and with the last few seconds of my consciousness I was able to gather my strength for one more attack, punching the black clad man that was holding me. As we both fell to the ground I felt drops of his crimson blood hit me staining my clothes and finally darkness closed in relieving me of the agony I was in. The fight left me with many bruises littering my body and what felt to be a few broken bones.

* * *

Wetness was the first thing my brain registered when I returned to wetness of my face being dragged through a puddle on an unfamiliar dirty floor had been the cause of my awakening. I did not know how much time had passed or what had happened after I passed out, I just knew I had been kidnapped and that my parents were dead. Even if I escaped I couldn't go back to my home.

The home I had lived in for sixteen years of my life had turned into the place where my nightmares came true. My worst nightmare was the death of my parents, the loss of two of the few people actually who love me for who I am, not for what I have done or what I will become. They didn't care about my faults and helped me overcome my many weaknesses.

I couldn't remember a drearier place in all sixteen short years of my life. Water dripped down my face from the ceiling and every few yards I saw a steel door with prison bars on the small window and a number above but each cell was empty and unlocked. The Foot soldier carrying me dropped me unceremoniously inside one of the cells, number seventeen if I remember correctly, and rushed out locking the door.

This was great, just great. I was trapped in a cage God knows where with no means of escape and just outside the cage was a man, a different man than the one who had locked me in, but it was definitely another man. As I focused on him I noticed that the strange man was watching me with cold black eyes like I was some sort of science experiment. The man was wearing metal armor and had a metal helmet on his head. "I am the Shredder," He said putting his arms behind his back, "Welcome to your new home, Autumn Fox."


	2. Chapter 2 Mutated and Found

The Life of a Fox

Chapter 2 Mutated and Found

The constant sound of dripping water echoed throughout a small, barren room, slowly hitting the cold, damp floor in a harmonious rhythm that tore away at a lonely heart. A small, bruised, and bloody figure sits almost silently on top of her barely tangible bed, gazing out into the night as rain fell past her small window, while shivering in the icy chill of her cell known as a room and she sang songs of loneliness and of pain with a voice that was soft like the wind. The songs she sang had been christian rock songs by her favorite band, Skillet, but when she sang them they became softer and more haunting. This had been the life of a lone girl, Autumn Fox, who for the past couple months had been unfortunate enough to be the test subject of the Shredder and his minion, Baxter Stockman.

She would gaze endlessly down outside her window, watching as those below her walked down the streets, oblivious of the torture that was now her life. Laughs and smiles filled the air with their exuberant sounds as happy couples and families passed through Autumn's view, captivating her longing blue eyes with the warmth and happiness she saw in their faces, a happiness she had always known but now could only wish to experience once more. It was all she could do to wait and watch the world below, to pass the time every day and night until someone finally came to 'see' her.

As Autumn's passionate deep blue eyes lost themselves in the sight of falling rain, the door suddenly began to stir before slowly creaking open. The girl turned around with a small whimper escaping her lips, only to watch in a knowing dread as a large man with a thin, blond ponytail walked into the room, cracking his knuckles in preparation. She knew what was going to happen, it was the all that happened to her any more. Autumn climbed off her bed and backed away against the cold, hard, grey wall curling herself into a fetal position, she knew from experience that when she was in that position and she was attacked by the man less damage was caused.

She watched with tearful sapphire like eyes as the muscular figure made his way over to her, and she received no pity or mercy when she was beaten into following his orders, even as her tears fell gently to the ground. She was dragged away to the hell known as a lab to her tormentors for the next agonizing test. Autumn started to squirm in the man's hold, she didn't care about the pain, or the fact that she could make her injuries worse from struggling, because she knew that if she could just slip out of the tight grip of Hun, she just _might_ be able to break out of the room and then escape the awful experimentation and torture of Shredder and the _Doctor_. Despite the seemingly hopelessness of her situation she still had the hope and determination to at least try to escape. Once she had been dragged into the lab her thoughts of freedom froze for a moment and her struggling came to a halt at the cold familiar sound of Stockman's cruel voice.

To her the sound of the voice of her tormentor was like the grating of nails on a chalkboard to a normal person, she couldn't stand it. He was cocky, arrogant, and just plain mean. He didn't care how much pain she was in and his cold voice reminded her of that without fail. "Don't bother" said the man as he walked over the girl, who glared at him silently with piercing blue eyes. If glares could kill the doctor would have been dead months ago. Though she had gone through many agonizing experiments she never stopped fighting, because she knew that if she stopped fighting, she'd never escape and then she'd be an experiment for the rest of her life. In her opinion letting the murderers of her parents imprison her, is worse than her parents' death. Then Stockman ordered the muscled man, Hun, to let go of the girl, who jumped up immediately and ran to the door pulling on the door just as it locked with a click that seemed to echo in the ears of the imprisoned girl.

When she couldn't yank it opened she pulled her fist back and slammed it into the door, but to her surprise and disappointment the door was unharmed. At this she felt a great surge of weakness take over her body once more. On previous attempts she had been able to damage the door enough to temporarily escape before being captured once more. "What the hell?!" she said in shock. She then slammed her other fist into the wall with all her strength, receiving the same disappointment of the door not giving under the force of her now sore fist.

"Damn" she said annoyed. She then turned to face Dr. Stockman, who had been watching her with what seemed to be amusement. "Are you done yet?" he asked calmly. Autumn glared at him "no". She then lunged at the doctor and pinned him against the floor. Dr. Stockman made no expression, which agitated her even more. "Who the hell do you think you are?" Autumn growled, and for a second, she sensed fear in the doctor's eyes, but it had vanished in a second.

"Don't bother kid, you're not gonna be able to escape. We've reinforced all the doors and walls just to make sure of that. You may have been one of the strongest in your family; you may have even been the strongest at your school but you still won't escape. So be a good experiment and sit on the table."

"Do you really think you can stop me? I will escape and there's nothing you can do about it" Autumn growled, then she brought her fist back, and her fist crashed into the doctor's cheek. For the first time since Autumn had arrived there the man's face was in complete shock. The man skidded across the floor and stopped when he came to the wall. Shaking he brought himself to his hands and wiped his bleeding mouth.

"How dare you!?" he panted, then grabbed something from a table nearby hiding it in his coat before the girl could notice. Autumn walked over to him, and the man looked up in anger. His face was a bruised and bloody mess, and his white coat had blood spatters on it.

"You may be able to paralyze me, or take away my strength, but I will never cooperate with you freaks here! You will never break me or keep me from freedom. Remember that" Autumn growled out harshly, lifting the man from his position on the floor by the collar of his shirt. Suddenly Autumn felt herself loose her grip on the doctor and drop to the floor. She could still feel the cool ground she was on, and she could still see, but it seemed that she couldn't move her body at all.

"What the?" she gasped out, and then lost her voice entirely. The man smiled a kind smile that didn't reach his cold eyes as he bent down beside the paralyzed girl, removing a small needle from Autumn's arm. "Seems you were already so tolerant to pain that you didn't feel the prick" he jerked the needle out to represent the prick "of this lil' bugger." Autumn could only lay there as the man put the needle back in its drawer and returned to her. The man bent down and picked Autumn up, then placed her on the table with the arm bands on it but didn't tie her down.

"Now, I won't fasten you to this table if you behave" he said and then he turned and walked to the door. Pressing a combination of numbers into the security device, he unlocked the door and walked out of the room, leaving Autumn alone on the table. He returned a few minutes later with a tube with a small odd bag that was pumped up and had a lid on it.

The doctor set the instruments on the table beside the young author, and then reached towards Autumn's face. He then cocked the girl's head back and easily forced Autumn's mouth open to where it was left agape. One could see the uneasiness in the girl's eyes as the man reached for the tube. Placing his hand on Autumn's jaw, the man took the tube and pushed it into the girl's mouth, then began to force it down her throat.

Autumn's body's natural reaction was to begin to choke up, even if she couldn't move herself, and her upper body jerked a bit under the man's grip as a puking noise came from her throat. The man continued to push the long tube down Autumn's throat slowly and mercilessly as his unlucky patient's body squirmed under his strong grip. "It's alright" Dr. Stockman said on the side as he slid the pipe further down the girl's esophagus, focusing on his work.

If there was ever a time Autumn wanted to bite someone, it would have been now, and she would have bitten the doctor's hand clean off, but she didn't feel a single part of her body that would move for her, though she could feel everything so evidently. Her body seemed to have betrayed her, so she was forced to suffer under the doctor's hand. Finally the man had fitted as much of the tube down the blond's throat as he felt was needed and he let go of Autumn's jaw.

The girl was left lying on the table with her head tilted back and a tube sticking out of her open mouth. Her eyes (the only part of her body she could use) were shut tightly as her body switched from breathing out of her throat to breathing out of the tube which made a hollow noise every time she inhaled. "We're almost done" said Dr. Stockman as he picked up the small bag on the table and pulled what looked like a clear plastic mouth cover out of his pocket.

It had a small hole in the center of it a little bigger than the tube with rubber encircling it. The doctor slid it on to the tube, and Autumn's throat made another vomiting noise as the pipe was shifted. "Come on, don't be a baby" said the Dr. as if he were talking to a child. He then pushed the clear mouth cover down the tube till it covered both Autumn's mouth, as well as her nose, making it impossible to breath with anything but the tube.

The young author left her eyes completely shut, trying to block out all that was going on. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she realized her life was in this man's hands. All Dr. Stockman needed to do was to cover up the tube and Autumn would suffocate. "Come now, don't look so worried" Dr. Stockman said with a bit of humor in his voice. Autumn's breathing had become a lot harder and the tube's hollow noises became louder. "Almost finished" the doctor said kindly as he raised the bag before her.

It was about two feet long and one foot wide, swollen and full of something. He unscrewed the lid but nothing came out; for there was some sort of seal on top of it. He then shoved the small opening on to the top of the tube and it fit like a glove. The seal opened up and a green gas could be seen seeping into the pipe. "Now, you're going to have a moment of discomfort, but don't worry. Everything is under control."

The blonde's eyes shot open as she realized that the oxygen she had been breathing had gone away and had been replaced with whatever substance was in the bag. Then the gas entered her body which lurched in pain as it began to reject the unknown substance that had entered it. The gas filled the girl's lungs having nowhere else to go, causing Autumn excruciating pain.

She would have preferred to be strangled than to have the toxic gas enter her body, but she clearly had no choice in the matter. "What you are feeling are the particles floating in this interesting gas that have a unique effect. This is a gas version of a special substance known a mutagen and by adding the DNA of an ordinary fox it should make you transform into a mutant fox in the next two hours" Dr. Stockman informed her, though it seemed the girl hadn't even heard what he said.

Autumn tried to take another breath, only to inhale more of the mutagen into her lungs. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she felt like her lungs were being compressed inside of her. Not only was she taking in the gas, but she was also suffocating because of the lack of oxygen. Her chest rose off of the table as her lungs began to scream for air and as they burned from the inside out.

"Those are the particles entering your lungs, and if things go as usual, they should be absorbed by your lungs, then they will enter your bloodstream. Once the particles enter your bloodstream they will circle your body and mutate you into a humanoid fox" said the doctor without any sign of pity for the girl suffocating before him. Foam was now coming out of Autumn's open mouth and her body had begun to convulse uncontrollably. "Oops, can't have you dying on us, can we Miss Fox? You're an important subject for us to be taking care of" said the doctor lightly as he popped the gas bag off of the tube.

The pale girl gasped for air. The tube slowed the intake of oxygen and her lungs struggled to get the amount needed to function correctly. Her body shuddered and her deep blue eyes remained rolled back into her head. The pain had only subsided slightly and still burned like acid in her lungs. "Ok, ok, the boss wants this to be fast, so let's get this over with shall we?" Dr. Stockman returned the bag to the tube, but this time gave it a tight squeeze, sending the gas shooting out of the bag and through the tube.

"This should speed up the process a bit" he said kindly. "Otherwise we might have to sit here another hour or two till you inhale all the mutagen needed to work." Autumn's whole body reacted to being pumped full of the toxin. So much had been pumped into her that she could feel her lungs actually expand as they were filled with the burning gas.

She began jerk violently as her body tried to reject the particles in the lungs, but there was no getting rid of them. The girl made a sickening noise from her throat and puke seeped from the corners of her mouth. "Hey, if you keep jerking around I might be forced to tie you to the table kid" said the doctor as he gave the bag another squeeze. With that, Autumn's body went limp.

It apparently couldn't take any more abuse and lacked the strength to even react on impulse. The girl's eyes returned to their sockets but were glazed over; unseeing. She resumed her obedient stillness with her mouth agape and her head tilted back. "There we go. That's much better" Dr. Stockman stated with a smile as he forced the last of what was in the bag into the unconscious Autumn's body, which merely shuttered.

* * *

If you looked carefully outside the tall building you could see four disfigured shadows darting silently toward the building belonging to the man known as the Shredder. The four shadows came out of curiosity; the Shredder hadn't attacked them for over a month… they hadn't even seen a foot ninja for two months. That fact alone set them on edge for what was to come.

As they slipped past the guards light fell upon them revealing them to be giant turtles, each of which had a headband. The one in the lead wore blue and carried a pair of twin katana moving with the elegant grace of a true warrior. The next one to be seen wore a red mask and carried a weapon not very well known in America, the sai. He moved with slightly less grace than the first but through his strides you could see he was also more powerful than the one in blue. The third wore a regal intelligent looking purple and carried a bo staff with the calculated movements only someone who is both a genius and a ninja could pull off. The fourth wore bright orange with a smile and with excited energy he spun twin nunchucks comfortably in his three fingered hands.

"Remember we are only here to gather information not to get into a fight. Got it Raphael" asked the first staring straight at the second who gave him a glare in return and said "Yeah we got it, Fearless" Twenty minutes past of the four searching the base for any clues as to what their enemy was up to before one opened the door of the dark room that hid the now mutated fox girl.


	3. Chapter 3 Change

The Life of a Fox

Chapter 3 Change

I've always found it odd that the day your life changes, you usually never see it comin'. The sense of somethin' about to happen, the signs people say they see or feel comin': 'somethin' in the wind', 'a red sky at morning', 'just a feelin''…it's ratha' sketchy to me. My brothers and I were probably some of the people most trained to sense things comin', and we still got blindsided frequently. You just don't wake up on a life-changin' day and know that something is going to happen and that your life will never be the same. It just doesn't work like that.

Fate, I've come to discover, prefers surprises. The day that my life changed along with my brothers, things started as they always did. We all got kicked out of bed for practice at an ungodly hour (like usual) by Fearless, who had already been practicing for a least an hour (like usual), and then went down to the dojo to kick the crap out of each other and have our crap kicked out of us in turn (like usual). Just an average day at the Hamato household.

Once things stopped aching enough for me to be able to move right, I got up and hung out in my room. My bros don't know what I do up there and I intend to keep it that way. I turned on my radio to my favorite album as loud as I could and then got out my drawing notebook. It was one of the ways I relaxed and let my anger out, I drew what I was feelin'.

If my bros knew they wouldn't let me live it down. I mean seriously think about it, the tough turtle that everyone's scared of drawing in his free time, Mikey they would understand, they'd even understand Don doing it but if they ever found out about me drawing I'd be a laughing stock. Eventually I heard a knock on the door and it opened.

Before he was far enough inside to see my notebook it hid it behind my shell, the pencil I'd been using in the metal spiral holding it together. The one who'd come in had been Leo, "What do ya want, Fearless." I asked annoyed. "I just wanted to tell you that we're leaving for patrol in ten minutes we also need to check out what's going on at foot headquarters" Leo said with a glance toward where I had hidden my art suspiciously before leaving. I rolled my eyes as he left, but it sounded fun to go back and trash foot HQ maybe even bust some heads while I'm there.

* * *

If you looked carefully outside the tall building you could see four disfigured shadows darting silently toward the building belonging to the man known as the Shredder. The four shadows came out of curiosity; the Shredder hadn't attacked them for over a month… they hadn't even seen a foot ninja for two months. That fact alone set them on edge for what was to come.

As they slipped past the guards light fell upon them revealing them to be giant turtles, each of which had a headband. The one in the lead wore blue and carried a pair of twin katana moving with the elegant grace of a true warrior. The next one to be seen wore a red mask and carried a weapon not very well known in America, the sai. He moved with slightly less grace than the first. The third wore a regal intelligent looking purple and carried a bo staff with the calculated movements only someone who is both a genius and a ninja could pull off. The fourth wore bright orange with a smile and with excited energy he spun twin nunchucks comfortably in his hands.

"Remember we are only here to gather information not to get into a fight. Got it Raphael" asked the first staring straight at the second who gave him a glare in return and said "Yeah we got it, Fearless"

* * *

Leo is so annoying, he's always bossing us around and being a suck up to Masta' Splinta'. If he was a student in high school he'd be considered a teacher's pet... oh wait, he already is. I rolled my eyes as I walked through foot HQ nothin' interestin' had happened yet, just a few guards ta knock out and stuff in ta closets. Then I saw it... a heavy metal door locked tightly.

I grabbed a sai from my belt and slid it into the lock turning slightly until I heard the familiar soft click that meant it was unlocked. The door opened with a soft creak that reminded me of horror movies but as it opened a smell hit my nose. The smell was the stench of months of being imprisoned mixed with blood and the slightest hint of old food. I shook off the surprise and looked into the room as a soft constant dripping sound reached my ears the sound slightly muffled by my mask. The small room was barren except for a torn and stained mattress with a small figure curled up on it shivering and groaning in pain even as it slept.

At first I thought it was an animal, but as I got closer I found it was an extremely thin teenage girl. The girl was so thin that a normal person would've died by now from the starvation and the suffering. Hell, you could see all the bones that weren't covered by the rags she wore. The rags she wore barely covered her and those that did were stained brown and red from her own blood. But she wasn't a normal girl anymore, She's a mutant.

Her now orange hair had black tips and soft black fox ears were sticking out of her hair. Upon her face were three scars going from her jaw line to the center of her cheek like whiskers and large animal like canine teeth stuck out of her slightly open mouth. Her arms and legs started as what looked to be normal, but on her lower bicep and lower thigh her skin changed gradually to a foxy orange then near the elbow and knee the orange hue became black, not to mention the fact that her nails where unusually sharp. Curled around her thin fragile looking body was a long fluffy fox tail that looked to be at least four feet long.

She was actually, dare I say it... Kinda cute. I pulled my shell cell out of my belt and called Leo. "What is it, Raph? Did ya find something." He asked. I heard the voice of the Shredder in the background and it sounded like the tin can was talkin' ta Karai. "Yeah I found somethin' and I think it's why the Shred Head's been ignoring us for now." I replied staring as her eyes slightly opened revealing golden orbs before they slid shut once more. "Okay grab it and meet us on top of the building next door, I'll call the others." Minutes later I met up with my bros across the street from Foot HQ carrying the surprisingly light weight fox girl bridal style.

"So... what's that" Mikey asked. "The reason we haven't seen the foot lately" I replied. "And that would be" asked Don. "They've been busy experimenting on this girl." Did you know it's annoying to be interrogated by your own brothers? "Raph we can just bring some random girl home with us! What would Master Splinter think?!" Leo lectured. The only thing worse than being interrogated by my bros is being lectured by Leo.

Mr Perfect here thinks he knows everything but he really doesn't. "Leo we can't leave her at the hospital, She's a mutant, the only place she'll be safe is with us" I replied. "He's right" said Don and Mikey nodded in agreement. Leo sighed in irritation, "Fine but I'm not responsible if you get into trouble because of her." Leo finally gave in to the inevitable, the girl was coming home with us.

* * *

The first thing I was aware of once I woke was the fact that I ached all over. I felt like I'd spent an entire afternoon sparring with my friends Kit and Tsukino Sensei, then been beaten by Hun, and after that walked across the Sahara desert without water —all in the same night. I groaned as I slowly opened my eyes and licked my lips. My mouth felt so dry and my throat was sore. I wish I had something to drink.

It suddenly occurred to me that I was lying down on something soft and that soft thing is a cot. I bolted upright. The Shredder only let me have a tattered mattress that was hard as rocks against my back and a blanket that was covered in blood, the floor was softer than the bed that he allowed me to rest on while I'm not being experimented on. What I saw before me could be compared to a hospital room, but I had learned to not trust appearances.

It wasn't sterile white but a brick room with the scent of roses covering a musky odor. I was on a cot of some kind rather than a bed with an IV and a heart monitor attached to me. To my left was some kind of laboratory setup with a laptop, various chemicals in test tubes, and the remains of a toaster. Then the door opened.

It wasn't Bucket head or one of his employees, but some overgrown, human-like turtle with a purple bandana and what I recognized as a bo staff strapped to his shell. _Oh my god! One of Buttbrain's other experiments actually worked._ I begin to have a full blown panic attack._ I'm screwed! I'm so screwed! Buttbrain sent this one to kill me after I insulted him for the thousandth time._

If my head didn't feel so groggy, and if my abdomen didn't feel sore, I would have run the hell out of the room as I saw turtle thing calmly walked over to me. "It's okay," he said soothingly. "I'm not gonna hurt you. Calm down." My mind is running through memories of Stockman's sneering face, abusive guards, being treated like a crappy science experiment gone wrong, and being starved for weeks before receiving the food no one else would voluntarily eat unless they were dying from starvation, had amnesia, and all their taste buds had been burned off.

My mind wants to run the hell out of my brain, but it can't when I'm facing one of Stockman's genetic experiments while lying down in one of Stockman's hospital/medical lab rooms. There's nowhere to run physically and mentally. I breathe harder. Normally I'd tough it out but I was already beaten and this one was so painful was that even sitting up hurt.

"You were in the Shredder's headquarters. Do you remember?" the humanoid turtle gently asked. The only logic my mind registers on its desperate escape is an answer to a recent memory. I nodded, trying to avoid using my sore throat as much as possible. Then my mind realizes it... Stockman was right, I can't ever be completely free... I'll always have the memories.

It drives me insane, and I want to be free from the pain, the memories, to have a normal high school life, but now it feels like I'm tied down and bolted to the floor. The humanoid turtle doesn't touch me or come closer. His eyes worriedly bounce from me to the quickly beeping heart monitor and back. "Shh," he says like he's calming a crying baby. "It's gonna be alright."

"Who are you?" I cough out between gasps of breaths. My voice was hoarse from the experiment but I want to know just what kind of nightmare I'm facing this time. "My name's Donatello. One of my brothers saved your life. I promise I won't hurt you. Now just breathe and relax." I tried breathing. I may be in Stockman's secret hell, but I need to get calm so I can plan my escape accordingly.

Donatello seemed to notice me frantically looking around as calmly explained, "Don't worry. You're in our hospital/lab. I live in the sewers with my family. I try to make this place as sanitary as possible to prevent any infection. You will be alright. I just want to check your vitals and make sure you are healing. Just calm down and breathe. I'm not gonna hurt you." I can feel each rapid beeping sound from the heart monitor and the slow _drip, drip, drip _of the IV.

The familiar sound of liquid hitting something begins to calm me as it had when I was trapped. Logic starts to kick in, and my heart rate and breathing slow down to normal pace. My mind quits its marathon and realizes there was no need for escape. The imaginary chains unwrap themselves. The only things holding me down are the heart monitor and the IV.

Stockman's labs were larger and more specialized than this one. Some of them – if they involved medical experimentation – looked more like hospital rooms (or hospital rooms from hell) in their sterile white, medical supplies, and smelled nice. This place is definitely not from Shredder's HQ. The whole sewer thing explains the musky odor.

When Donatello saw that I was calmed down, he asked, "Are you alright? I gave you some morphine to numb the pain, but if you begin to hurt, just let me know, and I will give you some more." "OK," I groggily said. Donatello slowly walked towards me as if he were approaching a wounded, scared animal. "May I see if your throat is alright it looked sore when I saw it earlier." I nodded "yes" and watched intently as Donatello came toward me looking into my opened mouth carefully. "It appears to be healing quite nicely. No signs of infection." He said with approval clear in his voice.

I wanted to know more about this guy so I asked, "What are you?" "I'm a mutant turtle. When my brothers and I were infants, we were dropped into the sewers and exposed to green ooze that mutated us, giving us human-like intelligence and humanoid appearances. Because we were infants at exposure, we grew up as if we were human children. Our father, a sewer rat, found us and was exposed to the ooze from us. Because he was an adult, he skipped childhood and mutated straight into adulthood," Donatello calmly explained.

He seemed really nice. I guess he just wanted to prevent me from going into another panic attack. "You said brothers and father. Are there more of you?" "I have two older brothers: Leonardo, the oldest, and Raphael, the second oldest, and a younger brother: Michelangelo. All three of them are mutant turtles like me. We also have a father who as you know now is a mutant rat. Last night Raphael found you in Shredder's HQ and we decided to bring you home with us"

It was then that another turtle walked in wearing an orange mask instead of purple and carrying nunchucks in his belt. "Dude is she up yet" The new turtle asked Donatello in the voice of a surfer before noticing me and 'welcoming' me in a bone crushing hug. I tried to escape but the reptilian man was too strong. The familiar feel of agonizing pain had me almost unconscious once more before I heard another voice say, "Mike let 'er go before she passes out from lack of air."

This one different from the voices of the two turtles I had already met, he had an unmistakable Brooklyn accent. Mike complied unhappily before noticing the new turtle was right and apologizing. "Ya might want to give hugs that are more gentle to the people who are injured" I said my throat silently complaining in the form of pain.

I took a moment to study the new turtle, his muscular figure was just taller than my own, with skin that was a deep green only marred by scars from previous battles, a gorgeous hue in my opinion. His plastron was a beautiful golden color matching the eyes that hid behind his blood red mask. The color red always reminded me of blood, the darkest crimson that painted everything into bright scarlet. An unique color that resembled fiery emotions and hid many meanings such as agony, hate, wrath, and anger.

Yet; at the same time, it also meant passion, bright, courage, and love. Although it represented many things, and despite all the emotions, it also created bloody scenery of chaotic and devastating reality...For instance war, A merciless battle between people with each one of them fighting for their own reasons and loyalty. Blood was shed and many lost their lives, heart-wrenching screams echoed throughout the ash-colored battlefield, dull and colorless like a graveyard. Red had been my favorite color for years and will remain so for years to come.

And despite my original lifestyle, I can no longer live like the careless teenager I had once been, fearlessly doing anything I please. If the Shredder caught me once more God knows what he would do to me, I was fortunate to have been saved by Donatello and his brothers when I did. "What are you lookin' at?" He asked.

"Let's just say I'm not used to seein' mutants every day" I replied with a smirk, it could be fun living with a group of turtles, even if we are living in the sewers, which admittedly happened to smell better than the cell I had been imprisoned in before. "Well then ya might want ta look in the mirror." He replied leaning against the wall with his muscular green arms crossed returning the smirk with a gleam in his golden eyes. I looked towards Donatello with a slightly panicked face. He sighed, but nodded before removing the IV and heart monitor and leading me to the bathroom where an unfamiliar face stared back at my own gaping in utter astonishment.

My eyes had changed from the deep blue color of a sapphire to the rich color of the purest gold with a chocolate colored rim. My hair was instead of the gold it had been was now the orange of a fox's fur with black tips and soft black fox ears replaced my normal human ears. Three whisker-like scars marred the skin of each cheek reminding me of Naruto. The last change on my face, or should I say in my face, were the enlarged canine teeth that always slid slightly out of my mouth.

My now amber eyes began to explore what else was new. I found my arms started off as normal but the color blended into the same orange as my hair on the lower part of my bicep then to black at my elbows and my legs were similar. My nails had become retractable claws and the last different I had noticed was the four foot long fluffy fox tail that had grown from my tail bone. I had accidentally stepped on it before noticing it.


	4. Chapter 4 Of Love and Loneliness

The Life of a Fox

Chapter 4 Of Love and Loneliness

Even though the familiar tantalizing smell of the beef ramen on the dining room table before me was tempting to my nose my mind was elsewhere, I couldn't help but think about what was happening at school, what my best friends, Kit Katina and Drew Hunter, were learning from our sensei without me after school. Sure, I had the turtles and Master Splinter now, but what about my best friends. I couldn't return to school now that I was a mutant, but I was lonely without them. The ramen only reminded me of them even more seeing as it was our favorite food.

"...tumn, Autumn, what's wrong?" I heard a soft intelligent voice next to me ask. I turned my attention away from my thoughts and back to reality. Donnie had asked the question and I couldn't just leave him without an answer. "I just miss my old life; my friends, my sensei, even school sounds alright right now." I replied my voice cracking. "But I can't return, I look like a freak... No offense" I heard his soft chuckle and turned in my chair to face him.

"What if I told you I had found a way for you to return to school without everyone seeing your new look." He asked with a small smile. "Are you serious?" I asked the excitement clear in my voice. "I made a device that forms a cloak like illusion. It should make you look like a normal human girl if it works correctly. And to make sure you don't have to take it off I made it in the form of a necklace." He said holding up what looked to be a normal necklace.

To put it simply imagine a short black chain with a black turtle shaped 'gem' hanging on it. It was actually quite pretty. I jumped up and hugged gave him a bear hug repeating something over and over. Really loud. You might find yourself wondering; what did I say; well the answer is two simple words. "Thank you!"

* * *

All over the underground house her voice could be heard. In a record time of ten seconds the commotion brought the rest of the Hamato family to the room, all of which were wondering one simple thing, What had happened? The first to voice his thoughts was none other than the adoptive father of this family, Master Splinter. "My son, what has made miss Fox so happy?" the old rodent asked.

But it was not his son who answered, instead before the intelligent purple clad teenager could mumble a single understandable syllable, Autumn answered his question freeing the genius from her bone crushing hug leaving the breathless turtle panting until his breathing returned to normal while making sure none of his ribs were broken. "Don said he found a way for me to go back to school without them finding out I'm a mutant!" Soon the entire Hamato family was celebrating the good news, that is all but one, who was disappointed that he won't get to spend as much time with the girl. The disappointed red clad turtle left the room without anyone noticing, or so he thought. One pair of wise, old, silver eyes followed his figure as he left, seeing the reason as though it were clear as day.

* * *

As I returned to my room a voice called after me. "My son, we need to talk." It was my father. Following him to his room I knelt before him. "My son, Raphael, you are passionate, loyal, and strong. Usually you do not worry about what others think of you but I can see that is different with Miss Fox. Why do you think you feel different about her?" Master Splinter asked.

Piercing silver eyes looked into my own gold. It was almost as if he could see my very soul... and knowing him he probably could. I hesitated not knowing what exactly my feelings were for her, but a moment later I knew... It was love. I had seen it many times before on the streets, and in the parks, hell, I'd even seen it between Casey and April. And even though she had only lived with us for a few weeks, I had fallen in love with her.

"I love her." I answered simply. "Then why don't you tell her?" He asked. I looked down, suddenly finding my hands interesting as I mumbled "I don't know how." "My son, let your heart lead you. If she is truly the one for you she'll love you as well." With that I thanked him and left the room, returning to my own room to contemplate how to tell her.

My first idea was to write a book telling her how I felt but I couldn't even get a full paragraph down; Three words got in my way every time I tried. my next idea, writing a speech to tell her didn't work either for the same reasons. This was beginning to frustrate me. Then a third idea came to me I'd write a song, but yet again the same problem plagued attacked me, same ole' turtle luck at work, but like usual my bad luck didn't drag me down.

As I went through my ideas once more I remembered that music was the language that she understood better than anyone else I've met or seen. She was always listening to music, singing or playing instruments. Though that thinking I was reminded of a song from a movie me and my bros watched when we were little.

The movie was called The Last Unicorn, sure it was childish, but we were kids and Mikey really liked the butterfly. So he watched it over and over and over and over... and did I mention over. He watched it so many times we all memorized the all of songs. I managed to sneak into Don's room and download the song onto my MP3 Player without my bro noticing and with that I went to work figuring out the chords on piano and managing to commit the knowledge to memory. Now I just had to find her.

I searched room after room but even after checking each and every one I didn't find her. "Hey Don." I called catching my scientific brother's attention. "Where's Autumn?" "April took her shopping for new clothes and School supplies. She's returning to school as soon as possible" He replied. So while I waited I set up the keyboard I found in the dump 7 years ago when I was nine.

* * *

April and I walked around stores for hours picking up item after item of things I'd need, and even some stuff I didn't need, like a laptop. Eventually we got to shopping for clothes and fortunately that took less time. Most of the stuff I'd gotten was red, my favorite color. While we shopped I had to wear baggy clothes to hide my mutant features but that didn't make much of a difference to me or April.

When we got back to the home of the Hamatos I put away my stuff and began to get ready to return to school. But I found a note in my room on my hammock. The note was said in familiar scrawled hand writing

_Autumn, _

_Meet me on the roof top of the Japanese Kage restaurant ASAP_

_I got a surprise for you_

_Raph_

For those of you who don't know Kage means Shadow so the name of the restaurant means Japanese Shadow. As I leap from building to building clad only in a silk crimson red kimono and a darker red obi I soon located the restaurant the guys had insisted I try when they found out I enjoyed ramen.

Ya see, even though most people believe that the guys only eat pizza that's not the case, they also enjoy other foods including some Japanese dishes, such as sushi, ramen (originally from China but became popular in Japan throughout the past century), and dango, and even though they rarely eat it they also enjoy soba and udon. Hell, Raph even enjoyed a good bottle of sake every once in a while and Leo's favorite beverage is green tea.

As I landed on the building that the note said to meet him I saw it. Raph stood in a red tuxedo behind an old keyboard and began to play a familiar tune. Where the turtle got a tux I don't know but he did. The song was that's all I've got to say, from the movie The Last Unicorn, his fingers gliding across the keys with perfect accuracy. You'd think it'd be hard to play the piano with only six fingers but Hamato Raphael made it look like it was the easiest thing in the world. And then the red clad reptile began to sing, his voice surprisingly not as gruff as it usually was.

_"I've had time to write a book_  
_About the way you act and look_  
_I haven't got a paragraph_  
_Words are always getting in my way_  
_Anyway, I love you_  
_That's all I have to tell you_  
_That's all I've got to say_

_And now, I'd like to make a speech_  
_About the love that touches me_  
_But stumbling, I would make you laugh_  
_I feel as though my tongue were made of clay_  
_Anyway, I love you_  
_That's all I have to tell you_

_I'm not a man of poetry_  
_Music isn't one with me_  
_It runs from me, It runs from me, It runs from me"_

And then I joined him singing the part of 'Lady Amalthea' also known as the 'Last' Unicorn in perfect harmony to Raph's voice.

Raph: _"And I tried to write a symphony"_  
Autumn: _"Once when I was searching"_  
Raph: _"But I lost the melody"_  
Autumn: _"Somewhere out of reach"_  
Raph: _"Alas I only finished half"_  
Autumn: _"Far away"_  
Raph: _"And finish I suppose I never may"_  
Autumn: _"In a place I could not find"_  
Raph: _"Anyway, I love you"_  
Autumn:_ "Or heart obey"_  
Raph: _"That's all I have to tell you"_  
Autumn: _"Now that I'm a woman"_  
Raph:_ "That's all I've got to say"_  
Autumn:_ "Now I know the way"_  
Raph: _"That's all I've got to say"_  
Autumn: _"Now I know the way"_  
Together:_ "That's all I've got to say" _

I had somehow ended up in the embrace of the red clad mutant, his passionate gold orbs staring into my own seemingly lost as I got lost in his eyes and the next thing I knew was hot soft lips against my own as my back hit the wall behind me. When he pulled away we were both out of breath. He looked at me with passionate golden orbs but he didn't know what to do in a situation like this and so... he ran.

* * *

"Raph wait" I called after him following him, over buildings, up and down fire escapes, down a manhole and through the sewers until we finally reached home. I came to a stop in front of his room just as the door slammed shut. "Raph" I called out, "Can I come in?" "Don't you hate me" He asked nervously. "Raph I don't hate you" I said softly as the door opened and his face peeked out at mine.

I walked into his room a soft smile coming across my lips. Drawings littered his hammock and I one in particular caught my eye. The drawing was of him holding the hand of a mutant fox girl, me, with a sunset in the background. It looked as though he had spent hours on that picture. I drew my eyes away from the art and met his golden eyes with my own. "How could I hate you… when I love you? You just caught me by surprise that's all."

This time it was his shell that was against the wall as my arms wrapped around his neck and I pressed my lips against his. Slowly I felt his muscular green arms wrap around my waist holding me close as he began kissing back. I felt my eyes close just before I got lost within the kiss. When we parted due to lack of air, my back was against the wall instead of his.

"I guess this makes us a couple" I said softly panting as though air couldn't enter my lungs fast enough. "Yep" He replied before kissing me again. Just as I got lost in the kiss once more I heard a click and a familiar lighthearted chuckle as a flash of light came through my eyelids in a pink hue. Raph released me from his passionate embrace while my golden eyes opened in curiosity. Before I could say something I saw a certain orange clad prankster holding a camera while a familiar silly looking grin was plastered across his face.

Raphael charged at the younger turtle tackling him to the ground as the younger teen tried to sprint away. Soon Mikey was pinned with his light yellow plastron pressed against the cold hard floor. Raph stood, one foot on Mikey's shell, the other right next to the pinned turtle's nose holes forcing him to smell the feet of his older brother.

The red masked turtle held the camera in on hand looking at the picture Mikey took before saying, "Hey Mike, nice picture but next time ask before you take a picture." I walked towards the ninja brothers to take a look for myself at the picture. It was a great picture, in the picture my new red clad, hot headed boyfriend held me in an embrace with my back against the wall and we were kissing passionately. "Hey Raph," Mikey said breathlessly, "Could you get off my shell, I can't breathe!" Raph chuckled in the way only he could as he moved off of his orange clad brother. His chuckle was a deep throaty chuckle that seemed to match his personality perfectly.


	5. Chapter 5 Back To School

The Life of a Fox

Chapter 5 Back To School

A cool breeze signaling the start of the winter season cascaded across my face blowing my short hair around as I took off my helmet. Before me stood the school I had attended before... Before I was kidnapped. Before I had become the experiment of Dr. Stockman. Before I met Raph, his brothers and Master Splinter. Before I was mutated into what I am now. Before my life was changed forever.

The Building before me was quite large but with four floors what school wouldn't be large. The First Floor was for the cafeteria, the second floor had all the academic classes for the students from 6th to 8th grade, the third floor had the academic classes for the 9th to 12th grades, and the fourth floor had the gym, the library, and other seemingly unnecessary rooms. How had I gotten to school you might ask, well the answer is really quite simple, Hamato Raphael gave me a ride on his bike, thus explaining the previously mentioned helmet.

I had decided to wear a pair of black skinny jeans, a red top, an awesome black leather jacket, black knee high stiletto heel boots and of coarse the 'necklace' Donnie made me. The familiar figures of two people could be seen making their way through the crowd with mumbling unheard apologies they went. As they approached, I heard the familiar roar of Raphael's motorcycle and the screech of wheels burning rubber. If you hadn't guessed Raph had left in order to keep the secret of the existence of mutants a secret.

The two figures happened to be my best and only friends, at least they were before, well, you know. "Hey, Where the hell have you been?!" demanded an unusually angry Kit with a glare upon her usually happy face. Kitonia Katina is a teenager who has been an orphan for what felt like forever. She has coal black hair that refuses to straighten from her naturally messy curls and her eyes where a sky blue. She rarely glared but when she did it was worse than Raphael's which was quite a feat. But even though she had been on the streets of New York for years she normal acted happy go lucky and joked around a lot, always seeing the bright side of things, so basically she's a female human Mikey with a more intimidating glare.

"Yeah the bitch posse has gotten worse since you disappeared." said Drew. Drew, a guy who had no mother to speak of and an abusive drunkard of a father that blamed him for everything bad in their lives. No matter how hard he tried the bastard that was called his father never saw the auburn haired boy's talent with electronics or the fact that Drew got perfect grades. The man could only see the hate he had for the life he had lived all because of his own choices and stupidity and turned that hatred upon his only son. He couldn't see that Drew was a genius.

Fortunately at the age of ten he managed to escape, traveling and hiding in forests and cities hunting for what he needed to survive, thus when he ran away he changed his last name to Hunter refusing to tell anyone of his past unless necessary. And even though he had had a hard life he didn't want revenge and was against unnecessary violence preferring to use nonviolent ways to solve an argument. Eventually he ended up at the home of a young couple who eventually adopted him.

If I had to describe his appearance I'd say he has shaggy auburn hair and coal black eyes that can cause even the toughest of bullies to turn away in fear. Hell, one time at the zoo he caused the male lion to turn away in fear at his glare (He was annoyed at the bitch, Vivian Dragon, that day). He had a square jaw, a dark tan, and scars littered his skin from when he lived in the forest.

"No where special, wrote a chapter for my fanfic, made some new friends, and oh, did I mention I was Kidnapped!" I said starting off in a casual tone and ending in an almost angry one. "I mean seriously did you honestly think I'd abandon my best friends with the bitch posse. Any way I'll tell you what happened later now we've got to get to class."

As we walked in to the building Kit started a new conversation, "So who was the guy that dropped you off?" "Raphael Hamato, he along with his brothers saved me." I replied. "And is he single?" she asked with a smirk. "Not anymore" I said with a smirk of my own as her smirk turned into a knowing smile. I walk in to homeroom and notice 5 glares towards my direction. I glare back and they quickly look away.

I roll my eyes and look around the room. The classroom is fairly large and most of the tables are taken. Although, one table was avoided and completely empty. I raised a brow and turned to Kit knowing she had something to do with it. "I managed to make everyone know that that is our table." Kit replied knowing what I was thinking.

I replied with a new smirk and walked towards the table at the back of the room. I ignored all the snide comments about me being gone for reasons no one knew but myself. Before I reached the table a tall bleach blonde girl stood in my way. Her name was none other than Vivian Dragon or to me and my friends the bitch. I hardened my eyes and stared into her blue ones.

"Excuse me," I ask as politely as possible. Her posse laughed like it was the greatest joke ever told. She smirked. I continue to stare at her face that currently looked like she was wearing 5 pounds of lipstick alone. "It seems like you don't remember me," She replied in her high fake voice, "I was the one who totally kicked your ass last year."

I blinked unfazed by what she had said. When people decide to pick fights with me, I let them do what they want. I'm not a type of person to fight back unless it's needed, but when they're picking on a friend. That's when I fight. I had gotten into a brutal brawl in grade 6. The man, whom pulled a knife at Kit, had broken bones and fractures after our fight. I was pressed with charges, but I wasn't sent to jail. Many feared me after that, but many decided to test their strength.

"Cool," I mumbled, "now will you please move out of my way?" Her posse yet again laughed their annoying laugh. She smiled and let me pass, but when I walked passed she whispered in my ear and grabbed my shoulder, digging her fake nails into my skin, "You're just a pathetic little bitch who tries to act like she's the best. I'm going to come after you and kill you one day, and no one will notice." I simply walked by and didn't turn around. I just wanted to sit down, go through all my classes, eat lunch, resume my classes and go home to my new boyfriend. When I got to the table at the back of the room my two friends and I sat down.

We sat in a random silence for a few seconds. Screaming and yelling could be heard across the room. I turned to face the clock hanging above the door of the room. The bell was going to ring in another 15 minutes. I internally face palmed. Since I didn't want to sit through the random silence, I decided to start a conversation.

"So, what happened three months ago men attacked my house and killed my parents, but they just kidnapped me. I still don't know why they kidnapped me instead of the snotty bitch and her bitchy posse. So the men took me back to their leader, this weird guy whose called the Shredder, and he let this other guy, Dr. Stockman, experiment on me, or at least he did until a couple weeks ago..."

"Today, I would like y-" She started with a kind voice. She was stopped because crumpled pieces of paper were being hurled from all directions of the class. The tiny lady glared at everyone and blew a yellow whistle that was held in her left hand. Her other hand was occupied by a brown suitcase which probably held the lists of students and pencils as well as homework from the year so far.

Everyone quieted down after the whistle was blown. Ms. Thomas slammed her suitcase on her desk. A few students jumped at the noise. I simply smirked. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Drew with wide eyes probably remembering his father's so called "punishments" causing my smirk to turn into a frown at the mere thoughts of the shitty abusive father of my friend.

"Yet again I say it. There are two ways this school year can go, One you can decide to behave and this school year can be fun for us all, or two you can decide to misbehave and I can make this year miserable for you" she raised her usually quiet voice and glared at the main students causing havoc, "Since you have quieted down, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Ms. Thomas or you can call me Ms. T, I don't care."

Ms. Thomas was a very timid teacher when she first arrived at my school. On her first year, when I was in grade 8, she arrived and taught my class. Our original teacher was pregnant and left for maternity leave. After being at our school for a few years, she learned how to make the students miserable and how to make the students have the best time of their lives. She also became highly entertaining and hilarious. This caused me to grow respect and like her over the last few years.

"Now, since I have your attention, I would like for our once missing student to reintroduce herself" She said gesturing for me to come to the front of the room. As I walked forward I was 'rewarded' by glares from the bitch and her posse but one of the shy students gave me a small encouraging smile. Drew was giving me a thumbs up and Kit was telling me, in our original sign language, to do plan 179. "Hey, my name is Autumn, which you already know considering most of you are glaring at me," I introduced myself while offering a fake smile to everyone in the class. Ms. Thomas continued to smile at my regular behavior.

"As for about me, I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan, and kill a certain someone,_" _I added with a serious face. Gasps and whispering ensued but at the table with my best friends laughter was heard. The teacher at the front of the room gave me a disapproving look, so I rolled my eyes and corrected it, "I was kidding, that was a quote that most of you do not know about because you suck. One actual fact is that I enjoy writing in my free time."

"Thank you, Autumn…" The small teacher coughed awkwardly. I just threw in a smirk. After homeroom The day went as it usually did at least it did until after our practice at the dojo with Tsukino Sensei. My friends had started insisting that they meet the people I'm now living with but I couldn't allow that without permission from Master Splinter. I told them I needed permission but they said I should call and ask. Then they pulled out the big guns asking me "Don't you trust us?" I finally agreed to call but told them I couldn't make any promises.

I called Master Splinter. "How do you work this thing" I heard him ask over the phone. I chuckled and said "Master Splinter you've already answered." "Thank you my daughter" he said before asking "What is troubling you, Child?" "Master Splinter, My two best friends want to meet you and the guys." I said quickly, I was lucky he hadn't accidentally hung up on me.

"Do you trust them to keep our secrets" He asked "Hai" I replied. "Then bring them they are your best friends." He said. "Hai Master Splinter, I'll call Leonardo and tell him to pick us up. Sayanara Splinter-san" I said. "Sayanara, my daughter," He said before starting to say something about how troublesome technology is these days.

I hung up shaking my head, Don really needs to teach Splinter how to use the shell cells correctly. I called Leo and told him what was going on and where to pick me and my friends up. Soon enough I could see the Battle Shell coming towards us. "That's our ride" I said with a smirk, waving at the guys in the vehicle. When the Battle Shell pulled to a stop I saw that it was Leo who was driving.

"Drew, Kit, Welcome to the Battle Shell." I said after they got in. "I'll introduce you to my friends when we arrive at my new home." "Did you guys make this?" Drew asked in what I like to call his geek voice, awed by the technology made by the genius mutant turtle. "I did" Don replied sheepishly rubbing his gloved hand behind the hoody that hid his face. "It's so cool" Drew said complementing him and with that they started a conversation no one else understood sharing what seemed to be theories, invention ideas, and experiments done in the past. Soon enough Leo parked in the garage and we went down the stone elevator. The faces of my best friends were awestruck the unusual sight before them.


	6. Chapter 6 True Stories of the Past

The Life of a Fox

Chapter 6 True Stories of the Past

Awed looks came across the faces of my two best friends as we entered the Lair. For there to be a home hidden underground was unfathomable to them even if they could see it with their own eyes and though they were already at a state of awe with wide eyes and gaping mouths we hadn't revealed the reason the hidden home was necessary for the survival of the Hamato family and now for the survival of me as well.

"Kit, Drew, how am I supposed to show you the bigger secrets when you can't take your eyes off a the Lair." I asked as the turtles went to their rooms to take off and put away their baggy clothes. "There's a secret bigger than this" Kit asked the awed look still wasn't gone but at least she had stopped gaping. "Are you serious?" Drew asked finally tearing his eyes from the stacked TVs in the living room.

"Yes, I'm serious, if this were the Naruto world this would be an SS-ranked secret that only the Hamatos and I are allowed to reveal. Are you guys sure you can keep this a secret? If I tell you guys our secret the lives of eight people count on you keeping this secret." I said, one eyebrow raised and my mouth fixed in a straight line. "Yes, get on with it!" Kit said. "Are you positive?" I asked as a playful smirk replaced the straight line that had been my mouth.

"Quit messin' with us and tell us!" Drew said getting frustrated. I reached up slowly towards my neck grabbing the clasp holding the two ends of the black chain. "Here goes nothing" I said as the necklace slipped from it's place on my neck and fell to the ground in a tiny tangled pile revealing my true appearance to my friends.

The necklace had make me look exactly as I had before the mutation but now my hair changed from blonde to a foxy orange with black tips and fox ears on top of my head, my scars showed now that my illusion of normalcy was gone and my elongated canine teeth stuck out of my mouth. My nails were revealed to be animal like claws and my skin multiple colors. Not to mention the four foot long orange and white fox tail swishing from side to side casually behind me.

Kit was the first to react to my new appearance. "What the Hell!" But as Kit yelled Drew was pulled out of his awestruck mind and as if no one was supposed to hear his question he almost silently asked, "How? How did this happen?" Even with my new fox like ears I almost didn't hear his question. "I'll answer that after the story of the Hamato family. Hey Guys, You can come out now" I yelled loudly enough for the mutated reptiles and rodent to hear me through the thick doors and thin Japanese styled door that divided the bedrooms from the main rooms.

I watched as the awestruck silver and obsidian colored eyes move from Leonardo to Raphael to Donatello to Michelangelo and then finally to the wise old rat known as Master Splinter each pair moving at their own pace. Soon enough we were all siting on the couch, a chair, or the floor and then Splinter spoke.

"Children, normally I would not have allowed either of you to meet me and my sons but you are the closest thing Miss Fox has to family other than us and she trusts you, so I allowed it. But I believe you need to know our story to fully believe that we will be able to take care of her." At this Kit nodded and Drew grunted in agreement.

"I have memories... Memories of when I used to be what you would call normal. I remember a day that started like any other but ended changing the course of many lives. I witnessed an accident... A young boy carried a glass jar with four pet infant turtles. An old blind man was crossing the street when he was almost rundown by a large truck.

As the truck swerved a metal canister bounced out of the back. It smashed open, releasing a glowing ooze which covered their bodies. I took pity gathering them up in a coffee can. I took them to my burrow. The next morning I awoke to find the four had doubled in size, the ooze had affected their growth. It changed me also, making me larger and more intelligent.

They followed me everywhere, except above ground I knew the people of the surface would not understand. We are so... different. I was amazed by their dexterity, even so I was not prepared for what happened one day. They actually spoke, my name. Soon they all were speaking. Intelligence followed soon after.

Realizing the world above is sometimes a dangerous place I began teaching them ninjitsu, the secret arts of stealth and power and all that I knew of this world. From a battered book on Renaissance art that I fished out of a storm drain I chose names for each of them, Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, together they are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

As Splinter introduced his sons they each stepped forward and posed (Raph and Mikey), waved (Don), or bowed respectfully (Leo). After the story of the Hamato family was finished I told my own story.

"Like Splinter-san the day that changed my life started like any other. I was in my room working on the next chapter of my fanfic when I heard some thing. When I turned around I saw a foot ninja standing on top of my flattened door and faster than Kit could say Mississippi an army of foot ninja stood before me. The first one ordered me to come quietly but instead I attacked.

I knocked the first few unconscious but after that they overpowered me using superior numbers as an advantage. The last thing I saw before before I fell unconscious was my parents lying dead in their own blood. When I awoke I was in a cage and before me stood a man wearing armor with a helmet that hid his face. The man introduced himself as the Shredder, but in my mind I always called him Buckethead.

I was soon moved into a small room and Buckethead allowed a scientist, Dr. Stockman to do what he wanted with me. At first he just took samples but after a while he started having a muscular man known as both Hun and Dragon-breath beat me before he began the agonizing experiments. Hun only beat me after I had tried to escape multiple times and fought back when he tried to take me to the lab.

My screams went unheard by the people of New York and months past before I was saved. The only comforts I got were the rain, a tattered mattress stained red by my own blood and coming up with insulting nicknames for my tormentors. Dr. Stockman, also known as Dr. Buttbrain had me taken by Hun one day for an experiment but this experiment was different and could potentially kill me.

He had me breathing in a gas version of the ooze, the mutagen that mutated the turtles with my oxygen cut off. It was worse than the previous experiments and the mutagen burned my lungs but fortunately I fell unconscious before the experiment was over. After Hun returned me to my room I mutated into what I am now and it was soon after that the Hamato brothers rescued me."


	7. Chapter 7 Party and Songs?

The Life of a Fox

Chapter 7 Party and Songs?

Almost a year had past since my kidnapping and things returned to normal... well, at least as normal as my life can get. Kit had given me what she had found in my apartment when I went missing, the police were informed about my reappearance and told not to bother me about a story, and school was as it usually was. I had just put my things in my locker for lunch when Kit came running up to me with a poster in hand.

"What is it this time, Kit?" I asked. She was always wanting to do something like music club, or going to dances both of which she dragged me to as well. "It's a Halloween party and everyone's gonna be wearing costumes! You can bring Raph and his brothers! No one will know you're really mutants!" She said excitedly holding up the poster as if I couldn't see it for myself. The Poster read in red ink written to look like blood.

_Halloween Party_

_Date: October 31st _

_Time: 8 to Midnight_

_Bringing Someone from outside our School?: Great! Go and get a permission slip from the office for each person your bringing outside of school and turn it in to the office by October 25. Have the permission slips filled out by the other person or people's school or parent if home schooled._

_More Details: Come and enjoy a night of dancing, music, food, contests, and fun. Everyone is to wear a costume. We will be having a costume contest and a singing contest so wear your best costume and come prepared to sing if you dare..._

"Kit, you know they don't like to be seen in public and what if one of them wins the costume contest the winner might have to show his real face. The Hamato family consists of mutants and they can't show let everyone know that. Kit, I'm a mutant too and if I were to win the contest and show my real face I could get into big trouble because even if it's been almost a year the Shredder is still after me. And even if I'm safe from Shredder there are scientists who would dissect us if they got the chance" I said quietly as we walked down to lunch not to mention the fact that it's already the 23th of October if I wanted to bring the guys I'd have to get the permission slips to the office tomorrow.

Kit gave me a disappointed look, her silver eyes turning into puppy dog eyes that were as good as if not better than Mikey's. I sighed, that's how she always got me to give in before but now I had more than my self to think about. "Fine give me the poster and I'll ask Master Splinter if Leo, Raph, Don, Mikey, and I can go." After lunch the day went by quickly and soon school was over.

I packed my backpack grabbing my helmet before I locked my locker. I remembered to stop by the office grabbing four Party permission slips for the Hamatos, and raced outside just in time to see Raph ride up on his motorcycle. Seeing as most days I had martial arts and other time he picked me up around back this was the first time other students actually saw him. People had started crowding around him curious as to who he was and what he was doing here but others just liked his bike and wondered where he had gotten it. Luckily he had decided to wear his usual red helmet, jeans, a red t-shirt, his leather jacket, motorcycle gloves, and shoes all of which were bought just so he could pick me up after school.

"Hey guys let me through" I said trying to push my way through the crowd. "Back off, Fox, we wanna learn about the guy on the motorcycle." said one of the people crowding the disguised mutant. "You mean my boyfriend" I said with my arms crossed finally grabbing the attention of the now gaping crowd as a path opened up finally letting me walk toward Raph. A certain bitch had convinced most of the school that I was to lame for something but this time I proved her wrong. I had had a boyfriend since before she convinced everyone I was too lame for to have one.

"Hey Raphael!" I called It took a second but Raph turned his head away from the crowd and toward me. "There ya are babe, I was wonderin' where ya were. I couldn't see ya through the crowd. Yer too short" He said with a grin hidden behind his helmet. "You know you're only a few inches taller and don't pretend that you didn't enjoy the attention of the crowd." I said with a smirk as I put on my own helmet. "Babe, you know Leo would lecture me if that were true" Raph said as I walk towards him. "That's why I'm not tellin' him" I said.

"You ready" The turtle asked me after I got on wrapped my arms around his waist and burying my face into his jacket. If I didn't hold on like that I'd probably fall off when we left. "Yep. See ya everybody" I shouted as we took off at 80 miles per hour. Raph could never stand to go slow no matter where we were going or whether or not we were in a hurry. But this time we were... the crowd made me late getting picked up and unless we hurry we'll get a lecture from Leo. The blue clad turtle is such a mother hen sometimes and he's a teenager...

When we got home I went straight to Splinter's room raising my hand to knock, but before I could I heard the wise old voice of the mutant rat say "Come in my daughter." The Japanese style door opened and I entered kneeling before my adoptive father. "Master Splinter, there is a costume party at school and Kit suggested that Leo, Raph, Donnie, Mikey, and I go together, so can we go" I asked as I handed him the poster and permission slips.

He read it and turned back to me saying "Call the others into the room so that they may decide whether or not they would like to go to the party. Even if I give you permission that doesn't mean they would like to go." I nodded in understanding and turned to the door.

Soon all five of us were kneeling before Master Splinter. "My sons and daughter, Kit has invited you to go to the Halloween party but it is up to you to decide whether or not you go if you decide to go you have my permission but you do not have to go if you don't want to." He said handing the poster to Leonardo and returning the some how already filled out permission slips to me.

"I wanna go" said Mikey with a smile. "You always wanna go Chuckle-head," He teased, slapping the orange clad turtle upside the head 'gently'. "but even I gotta admit this does sound like fun" He finished with a smirk while looking at me. "If any of ya are goin' I gotta go" I said. "Count me in" Donnie said. "I'll go as well someone has to make sure you stay out of trouble" Leo said.

"Who said anything about getting in to trouble?" I asked with a mischievous look on my face just to tease him. He chuckled "See, that's what I mean, you'll get into trouble like you always do and I'll have to come and get you out of it." "Aw... Can't Raphael do it this time? Please" I said giving him the puppy dog eyes. "Gladly" Raph said pulling me in to his arms and giving me a kiss. "Get a room" Mikey said sticking his tongue out and making a face. "Are you sure you really want that because if you do there might be babies running around the lair in nine months" I said smirking when I saw the grossed out looks on the faces of Leo, Don, and Mikey.

The next day I told Kit we could go and turned in the permission slips, after school I called the brothers together again for another meeting about the party. "Did any of you actually read the poster" I asked. They all shook their heads. "We got distracted." said Donatello. "Well, the poster says come prepared to sing so we have to choose songs and what parts we'll be singing. I already have some songs in mind that could work all we have to do is divide the parts." I balanced my laptop on my right arm typing with my left arm. "Okay, what songs did you have in mind?" asked Leo.

"I was thinking that Leo, Don, and Mikey could sing Brothers Under the Sun from the soundtrack of Spirit Stallion of Cimarron or Always There from Lady and the Tramp 2 and Raph and I could sing I see the Light from Tangled, Love will Find a Way from the Lion King 2, or If I never Knew you from Pocahontas or if you'd rather sing together we could sing We are Family from Ice Age 4." I said before playing them on my laptop so they knew exactly what songs I had thought of.

"Can anyone thing of any other songs that could work?" Leo asked. "How about Naruto Shippuden openings 3 and 4" Mikey suggested with a grin. I didn't know Mikey watched anime... Cool. "Those could work but should we sing them in Japanese or English?" Raph asked with a raised eyebrow. "And who sings what part?" Don asked.

_**Hey Readers, you get to vote on what song or songs Autumn and the Hamatos to sing! Type your choice in your review!**_


	8. Chapter 8 Memories and Dodge Ball

The Life of a Fox

Chapter 8 Memories and Dodge Ball

As I sat in class the teacher, Ms. Thomas, going on and on about about things we need to know for the next quiz, my thoughts drifted back to my first weeks in the Hamato home. On my first day the guys seemed to treat me a lot like someone would treat a guest or in Doctor Donatello's case a patient. Everyone was pretty casual around except Don. He would always be telling me what to do and what not to do, but that's kinda his job, especially since I had just escaped the claws of evil and didn't return unscathed.

After Don stopped worrying so much about my health and how I had become a mutant everything was pretty casual, I'd usually sleep in til ten am then join the guys in what ever they were doing, but one day I woke up earlier, due to a sound waking me up, a crash to be more precise. I rushed down stairs and I heard yelling coming from a room I hadn't entered yet in the time I had been there. When I opened the door I found it was a dojo, but that wasn't what caught my attention Leo was on the floor groaning in pain and blood came from an injury on his shoulder Raph stood nearby a guilty look on his face revealing that he was the one whom had cause the injury on his big brother and he wasn't proud of it.

"Guys what happened" I had asked and within moments my theory was proven correct, during a spar between Leo and Raph, the red masked turtle threw one of his sai and Leo didn't block it as Raph thought he would Leo was more focused on Raph than the sai and it cost him. The weapon lodged it self in Leo's shoulder. Though Leo was wounded Raph still hadn't gotten a full spar so having told Master Splinter about my training with Tsukino Sensei, the old rat let me spar with Raphael using my signature weapons three katana, two in my hands and one in my mouth, like Zoro from One Piece.

Tsukino Sensei had suggested the three katana after seeing my strength and talent with the long swords. I might've been good but Raphael was better. He made me lose two of my swords within the first few minutes and managed to pin me forcing me to stare into his amber eyes. Though pinned the spar wasn't over, I distracted Raph with a kiss on his beak and flipped our positions making him on bottom my sword to his throat forcing him to surrender.

After the spar I collected the katana belonging to both me and Leonardo sheathed my own at my hip and returned Leo's katana to the blue masked turtle. Raph avoided talking to me for the rest of the day from his own embarrassment but I all day felt the amber eyes of the red masked turtle on me. I was distracted from my memories when I heard Ms. Thomas say "Ms. Fox are you paying attention" "Yes Ms. Thomas" I replied before the teacher returned her attention to the front of the room where she was writing on the board.

* * *

This time my train of thought went further back into my memories... back to my imprisonment. Butt for Brains hadn't just changed my appearance he had done more mutations on me before that. For one experiment he had Hun holding me still as he stuck a needle in my arm and forced the needle into my bone. When he injected the liquid into my bones I felt each one of the shatter and reform themselves causing a wave of pure agony to course through my already weakened body. My claws came out at the thought. I still had an unmistakable anger towards the evil scientist and I dug my claws into my hands hiding them from the eye of my classmates by making a fist.

I soon felt a familiar liquid coming from my hands and opened my fists to reveal that my claws had broken the skin and blood was coating my hands, luckily before anyone could notice the bell rang and I rushed to my locker unlocking it carefully as to avoid getting blood on it and grabbed my biker gloves, bandages, and gym clothes then ran to the bathroom. I washed the blood away noticing the cuts had already stopped bleeding and wrapped the cloth bandages Don had given me around my hands then pulled on my gloves leaving the bandages hidden. That was one of the upsides to my mutation I healed a lot more quickly than a normal human and the guys. I changed as fast as I could then made it to gym just in time the bell rang just as I got in line next to my friends.

"Okay, Now that everyone's here" said Mr. Lockwood, the gym teacher, glaring directly at me, which I ignored. "We will be playing a game of dodge ball to see how many of you pansies have improved since school started." Yep that's right he had us play a game of dodge ball on the first day of school and we would probably have a game every month considering we had had one once a month so far. I dodged, caught, and threw balls rapidly and soon it was down to was me against the two toughest guys in school, other than Drew of course.

Frank and Joe Goldfinger as brothers, twins, and best friends, those two are the toughest non-ninja kids in school, but they are also bullies to the younger and weaker kids. Frank threw a dodge ball straight at me when I was lost in thought, but my instincts reacted quickly. I caught the ball did a back flip and threw it back straight toward a surprised Joe. He couldn't react, he was frozen in fear and the ball hit him where no man, male teen, or boy wants to be hit... right between the legs. Joe fell to the ground and Frank sunk to his knees beside his brother as I ran towards him.

"Ms. Fox would you take Frank and Joe to the nurse" Mr. Lockwood said in a surprisingly gentle voice. "Of course, Mr. Lockwood" I said lifting the now unconscious teen I hit easily and carried him bridal style toward the nurse's office with Frank following closely behind. When we got in the hall Frank said something that surprised me. He said "I don't know about Joe but I think I needed that. I needed to know what it's like to see a friend... a brother get hurt so I know how it feels when we bully the younger kids. I think it's time that Joe and I stop bullying the other kids."

He finally understood, and I gave him a smile but an instant later that smile was gone without a trace. "How did you react like that... I mean you weren't even looking." He asked moving his focus from the floor to my face. "Can I trust you with a secret?" I asked looking at Joe and remembering how the two would've acted towards me otherwise. "Of coarse" He said.

"It would be easier for me just to show you" I said handing the injured teen to his brother and reaching for my necklace. As I unclasped it and returned to my mutated appearance I heard a gasp from Frank, who had almost dropped his little brother. "What the... how the hell did that happen?" He said trying to control his surprise and stop himself from shouting. I returned my necklace to it's place, continued carrying Joe and explained leaving the guys out of it as much as possible and not telling him what the Hamato's are.

By the time we reached the nurses office Frank understood what had happened a year before and he had become a friend I could truly trust with almost anything. I had made a new friend. The nurse took care of Joe and while I was in the nurse's office I took care of the cuts which were by then almost gone. When Joe awoke the nurse was shooed from the room and I showed him what I had shown Frank.

Frank explained what had happened to me and between the two of us, and finally Joe also promised to stop being a bully. Within the next hour I came to truly trust both twins, but I still didn't tell either about the Hamato family. The day went the way it usually did after that, except for one little detail... the Goldfinger brothers started to hang out with me, Kit, and Drew. It felt strange that there were only a few more days before the night of the Halloween Party I'd been waiting for.

* * *

_**Oi Reader-san, down here, I still don't have any votes on what Leo, Don, and Mikey should sing at the Halloween Dance. I need your votes. The songs you can choose between are Brothers Under the Sun from the soundtrack of Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron, Always There from the Movie Lady and the Tramp 2, the Third Opening from Naruto Shippuden (Blue Bird) and the Fourth opening from Naruto Shippuden (Closer). Ja Ne Reader-san!**_


	9. Chapter 9 The Halloween Party

The Life of a Fox

Chapter 9 The Halloween Party

It was a windy and rainy evening in the big city of New York with a full moon hidden behind the storm clouds above. In the puddle before me I could see the reflection of a teenage girl perfectly; her short fox colored hair soaked and flying around her and her sad golden eyes showing she knows how harsh the world can be, but that she also knows there is good in the world with the bad.

Her odd fox like appearance and the strapless deep red dress that clung to her skin revealed her as the mutant she was, but on a night like tonight one would think it was only a costume. Halloween Night, a night of dressing up like the creatures of the night and making it so that the real freaks could act normal for once in their life. Freaks like me and my friends the Hamatos.

'_I wonder what Leo, Don, and Mikey decided to sing' _I thought as I leapt over the puddle light on my feet even while clad in a red gown and red five inch stilettos and continued walking towards the school where the party was going to take place. The Hamato brothers had decided to meet me there so they could work on something. Kit took forever to get ready and she would probably want to help me get ready as well. As for Drew, he was giving Kit a ride on his motorcycle, so I couldn't exactly go with him.

That said, you now understand why I was walking alone instead of walking with my friends. Raph and I had decided to sing the song 'I See The Light' from Tangled but Leo, Don and Mikey had refused to tell me what song they were singing saying it was a surprise and that I'd find out at the party. As I came to a stop in front of my destination I saw the building had changed and been decorated in the few hours we had had to get ready.

The once formal looking school building was now covered in cobwebs, fake ghouls, and other spooky decorations while more goblins ghouls and creatures of all shapes and sizes entered for the party. I soon noticed six familiar figures standing near two familiar looking vehicles. It seems Kit, Drew and the Hamatos had all arrived before me and were now waiting while getting to know each other a little better. The Hamato's were all wearing suits in the colors they are known for, and Raph did look good in a suit if I do say so myself... and I do.

The red clad turtle was the first to notice my presence and acknowledged it with a kiss upon my lips. This caused two things to happen, the first was that it drew the attention from the previous topic to Raphael and I. The second was a slight hesitation in the gait of a jock whom had been walking towards us. This jock was a teen named Chase, Chase Scarsini to be more precise.

Chase was a typical jock except for one little detail he had a crush on one girl and refused to go out with anyone else. To him, when you loved someone you had to pursue them and he did. Even though he had heard the rumors of me having a boyfriend he wouldn't believe them and he kept pursuing me, but now… Now he knew it was the truth. He finally knew I was with Hamato Raphael even if he didn't know my boyfriend's name.

A few moments past before his agape mouth shut and he walked over to us with a confident stride, stopping in front of the red clad turtle with a glare upon his face. Despite the efforts of intimidation from the younger teen, Raph acted as though nothing happened, chatting away with his friends and brothers, his arm around my waist. As a mutant the Hamato's had faced glares much worse than that of a jock in a costume, such as those of Hun, Stockman, Bishop, and Shredder, and many others whom I will not name.

Not the least deterred by the lack of response from the red clad brother, the blond haired jock grabbed Raph by the shirt, jerking me out of his arms and causing me to fall to the ground. "Who the hell do you think you are, just coming here and taking the girl I had been after for the past year" He growled out a scowl upon his face. "I t'ink I'm the guy who's been with Autumn fer da past two years" Raph growled back huskily his deep voice dripping with anger, like venom drips from the fangs of a poisonous snake, as he jerked out of the grip of the younger teen.

His Brooklyn accent seemed to intensify as his anger grew like a forest fire. One could not deny that his amber eyes looked like the fire of anger and passion that he held in his heart as his glare pierced the night. Anger due to the fact that another man had been after his girl and passion that showed his loved for me. Raph just then seemed to notice that I was still on the ground, and so, with a smirk, the hot headed turtle grabbed my hands and pulled me back to my feet, planting a gentle kiss on my lips as he did. When Chase saw the kiss he charged. Anger put any and all thoughts aside and instinct made him charge, but unfortunately for him, Chase wasn't a ninja and the punch didn't connect.

It was an easy win for the red clad turtle. A piece of cake compared to the torture I'd experienced and the stories I've heard of their battles with Shredder, Bishop, and Karai. With his attacker clearly weaker yet determined, he took the time to play with his the blond teen, something he, unlike many others, didn't usually do. Allow me to illuminate for those of you who do not understand.

For him a normal fight consists of one hit, one down. This time it was different… Raph was angry, but it wasn't his usual anger. His anger was usually at the attacker of an innocent person... or at Leonardo... but this time it was more personal. Chase hadn't attacked an innocent human… This time Chase had attacked the relationship between Hamato Raphael and Autumn Fox.

A relationship forged through memories of strength, courage, and honesty; a relationship that overcame challenges and barriers of all kinds. The fight went too quickly for a normal person to see but for the seven ninja it was clear as the difference between day and night.

I won't describe the fight but let's just say that while a red clad turtle walked away unscathed and fixing his barely scuffed up red suit, a certain jock won't be able to play any sports for a few weeks… or months... in the best case scenario. To say I was surprised that result of the Hamatos coming to the party was Raphael getting into a fight and winning would be deceit, but to say it was expected would also be incorrect.

I didn't think that my boyfriend would get into a fight so soon and for it to have been with Chase was unexpected, but I had known that if any of the guys had gotten into a fight they would win. I couldn't help but smile as we walked towards the entrance of the school building leaving behind the bloody figure of a jock, who out of jealousy had challenged the relationship of one of the Hamato brothers, as he awaited ambulance Hamato Leonardo had called.

As we entered the building the attention turned to us. The principal, who's in charge of the party introduced us and we were directed to the stage. Leo, Mikey, Don, Kit, and Drew waited off to the side of the stage as the music began. The lights dimmed and changed from ordinary white lights to a soft array of blue, gold, red, and green. I opened my mouth and from it my voice came in a soft yet strong melody perfectly on key, I knew music could bring tears to the eyes of any human no matter how tough, how bitter, or how cold hearted.

"_All those days watching from the windows  
All those years outside looking in  
All that time never even knowing  
Just how blind I've been  
Now I'm here, blinking in the starlight  
Now I'm here, suddenly I see  
Standing here, it's all so clear  
I'm where I'm meant to be_

_And at last I see the light_  
_And it's like the fog has lifted_  
_And at last I see the light_  
_And it's like the sky is new_  
_And it's warm and real and bright_  
_And the world has somehow shifted_  
_All at once everything looks different_  
_Now that I see you"_

And then Raphael began to sing his voice strong and confident as his amber eyes stared into my own matching pair, though I could see he was nervous to sing in front of a crowd. He was a ninja for crying out loud the shadows were his domain, not the spotlight even if his eyes also revealed he enjoyed it.

"_All those days chasing down a daydream  
All those years living in a blur  
All that time never truly seeing  
Things, the way they were  
Now she's here shining in the starlight  
Now she's here, suddenly I know  
If she's here it's crystal clear  
I'm where I'm meant to go"_

Our voices came together meeting in perfect harmony in the keys we were most comfortable with.

"_And at last I see the light"_

The voice of the red clad turtle sung out on its own like a lone fearless trumpet against the soft piano music that was the background.

_"And it's like the fog is lifted"_

My voice returned to the song in the next verse…

_"And at last I see the light"_

And then I had a short solo, much shorter than my first but even though it was short my voice held no less strength or beauty. _  
_

"_And it's like the sky is new"_

Raphael's eyes held not anger, nor triumph from the earlier victory against Chase, but they held pure love for me as his voice returned to sing the next verse of the song in perfect harmony with my own. Our voices blending like paint on a canvas, smooth and delicate but held the familiar strength we have both always been known to have.

_"And it's warm and real and bright  
And the world has somehow shifted  
All at once, everything is different  
Now that I see you, now that I see you"_

As our voices faded we heard the thunderous roar that was the crowd clapping and cheering. My eyes turned from Raphael's gaze to face the audience, and I saw that they had tears in their eyes. We bowed and left the stage and when we did the other three Hamato brothers went on stage.

"Hi" Leo said kinda nervous to be in front of a crowd, "We are the Hamato brothers I'm Leonardo, and these are my younger brothers, Raphael, who just performed with Autumn, Donatello, and Michelangelo." A very familiar tune wove its way through the crowd from the stage and then they began to sing. Mikey sung the first verse as a solo his voice resonant against the soft music.

"_I had a dream - of the wide open prairie  
I had a dream - of the pale morning sky  
I had a dream - that we flew on golden wings  
And we were the same - just the same - you and I"  
_

Then Leo had a solo his voice only slightly deeper. The music seemed slightly stronger when the blue clad team leader sang.

"_Follow your heart - little child of the west wind  
Follow the voice - that's calling ya home  
Follow your dreams - but always, remember me  
I am your brother - under the sun"_

The three sang together for the next verse their voices blending like a ninja would blend into the shadows.

"_We are like birds of a feather  
We are two hearts joined together  
We will be forever as one  
My brother under the sun" _

Donatello had a solo next his voice only slightly higher in pitch than the voice of the orange clad turtle.

_"Wherever you hear - the wind in the canyon_  
_Wherever you see - the buffalo run_  
_Wherever you go - I'll be there beside you_  
_Cos you are my brother - my brother under the sun"_

Their voices then joined in perfect harmony for the last verse, singing as a team much like their teamwork when they took out their enemies.

"_We are like birds of a feather  
We are two hearts joined together  
We will be forever as one  
My brother under the sun _

_under the sun_

_under the sun_

_My brother under the sun"_

The audience clapped but for the three brothers it was not as enthusiastically as the cheering for Raphael and I, and their eyes were dry. The bond between the brothers was not as intimately liked as the bond between boyfriend and girlfriend, no matter how close the brothers were, but just the same true musicians knew that they did well for first-timers. The brothers bowed before leaving the stage, and the lights went out.

Then a single light shone upon the stage, revealing a girl. The girl had her hair in messy black curls and wore a moss green strapless dress that matched her high heels. She was dressed as a blue mutant fox with white arms legs hair and ears instead of black trying to match me in opposite colors, she even had the tail. If you hadn't guessed yet I'll tell you... it was Kit.

"I will be singing a song in memory of someone very special to me, the woman who I considered a mother." Kit said as soft familiar piano music began and memories flowed through my mind. Memories of what Kit had told me of her past. Kit's voice sounded exactly like that of Jesse from Toy Story 2 when she sang.

Her mother died when she was giving birth to her and her father died when she was only four in an event that would be remembered for years to come, he died in 9/11. She was taken in by an orphanage. The orphanage had many workers, but only one became close to the child. Her name was Bellemere Katina, a small Spanish woman whom had loved Kit from the start. After Kit joined the orphanage they were never seen apart.

"_When somebody loved me, everything was beautiful  
Every hour we spent together, lives within my heart  
And when she was sad, I was there to dry her tears  
And when she was happy, so was i, when she loved me."  
_

At least they hadn't been seen apart until Bellemere had been taken aside so her boss could tell her that Kit couldn't stay forever and there wasn't enough room for the girl now. Kit had to go. Bellemere felt that if Kit had to go, she did too, so she left. After they left Bellemere looked for a job. She looked through the summer and fall but couldn't find someone willing to be her boss.

_"Through the summer and the fall, we had each other, that was all  
Just she and I together, like it was meant to be  
And when she was lonely, I was there to comfort her  
And I knew that she loved me."_

She finally found a job in the winter, a job that would last all day but it was a job nonetheless.

_"So the years went by, I stayed the same_  
_And she began to drift away, I was left alone_  
_Still I waited for the day, when she'd say "i will always love you."_

Kit spent years seemingly alone, her mother at work all day, until Bellemere took the day off on Kit's seventh birthday. They spent all day together, then in the evening Bellemere went to get a cake and ice cream.

_"Lonely and forgotten, never thought she'd look my way,  
She smiled at me and held me, just like she used to do,  
Like she loved me, when she loved me"_

But Bellemere never made it home that night. She had died in a car accident and Kit was alone left to live on the streets with what was left of the money Bellemere earned for their small family. Bellemere's last words are carved into Kit's heart, "No matter what happens, don't be sorry you were born. Even though nobody praises us don't forget to smile in any situation. As long as you're alive here there will be better things coming, and there will be many." Kit took the last name of her adoptive mother to honor her memory.

_"When somebody loved me, everything was beautiful,_  
_Every hour we spent together, lives within my heart_  
_When she loved me. . . . . ."_

Kit ended with tears cascading down her cheeks and knuckles white from clutching the microphone. The memories of Bellemere were Kit's most precious treasure, she wouldn't trade them for even the most precious gem or metal. Bellemere was the first person who actually took care of her, and because of that the woman holds a special place in Kit's heart. Drew walked slowly up to her and she gave the microphone to him knowing it was his turn and a yet another familiar tune started playing.

"_Well you think that you can take me on  
You must be crazy  
There ain't a single thing you've done  
That's gonna faze me  
Oh, but if you wanna have a go  
I just wanna let you know_

_Yeah, get off of my back_  
_And into my game_  
_Get out of my way_  
_I'm so wild and untamed_  
_Get out of my face_  
_Or give it your best shot_  
_I think it's time you better face the fact_  
_Get off of my back_

_You know it's all just a game_  
_That I'm playing_  
_Don't think that you can find a way in_  
_That's what I'm saying_  
_Oh, but if you wanna have a go_  
_I jut wanna let you know_

_Oh, get off of my back_  
_And into my game_  
_Get out of my face_  
_So wild and untamed_  
_Get out of my way_  
_Or give it your best shot_  
_You know this train is coming off this track_  
_Get off of my back_  
_Yeah, get off of my back_

_Get off, yeah_

_Get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off_  
_Get off of my back"_

Seeing as we came in later than the other students and attendees we were the last to perform and it was now time to announce the winners of the singing contest. The judge came forward moments after Drew left the stage to announce the victors of the first contest. "Third prize goes to Vivian Dragon who sang 'Call Me Maybe'. Second Prize goes to Kitonia Katina for the song 'When Somebody Loved Me'. And first prize goes to…"


End file.
